Non-invasive imaging technologies allow images of the internal structures or features of a patient or object to be obtained without performing an invasive procedure on the patient or object. In particular, such non-invasive imaging technologies rely on various physical principles, such as the differential transmission of x-rays through the target volume or the reflection of acoustic waves, to acquire data and to construct images or otherwise represent the observed internal features of the patient or object.
For example, in fluoroscopy and other x-ray based imaging technologies, x-ray radiation is directed toward a subject, typically a patient in a medical diagnostic application, a package or baggage in a security screening application, or a fabricated component in an industrial quality control or inspection application. A portion of the radiation impacts a detector where the image data is collected and used in an image generation process. In the images produced by such systems, it may be possible to identify and examine the internal structures and organs within a patient's body, objects within a package or container, or defects (e.g., cracks) within a fabricated component. In certain contexts, such as fluoroscopy applications used in support of interventional or navigation procedures, low-dose x-rays may be acquired at a high frame rate over an extended period to provide real-time image data that may be used to guide or navigate a tool within a patient.
During a surgical procedure assisted by fluoroscopy, surgeons often monitor progress of the surgery via a single (still) x-ray image, acquired with the fluoroscopic imaging system during a very short exposure. Due to the short exposure time, obtaining a high-quality image may be problematic and/or the patient may be subject to more radiation than desired.